3/17/14

Close the Church shop? (1)

Who cares that Solomon built a glorious temple for God
(and a more glorious house for himself)? Who cares that Judah's most
powerful king, despite his upright life, ended it as a leper? What
difference does it make that some old-timer called Abraham and his
childless wife moved from the centre of civilization to half a dozen
locations in the middle of nowhere? Why bother reading up on, or
listening to, titbits of geography and history—even presuming they're
true? Who cares what Nebuchadnezzar did or didn't do or that Rome
established a system of "client kings" to govern their territory? Why
bother? What difference does any of it make to how I treat my wife and
children, whether I'm honest in business and generous in sharing what I
have with the less fortunate or genuinely interested in the freedom and
prosperity of my fellow-humans? We already know enough about decency and
uprightness—who needs Bible study?

I
wonder about that a fair bit. Harry E Fosdick was right when he said
that people were no longer interested in what happened to the Hittites. Why
don't we just close up the church shop and encourage everyone to live
up to the moral standard they've accepted since childhood? Who cares
if we can go through an ancient book verse by verse and get a
reasonable understanding of what the ancient writer of those ancient
verses meant when he said them?

Okay, so we can go
to one of the 31,000+ verses that tells us we should be good to one
another or to one of the stories that would illustrate the point; we can
go just about anywhere to find that kind of thing. The Reader's Digest
has plenty of that; so why rant and rave about the Bible and look down
our noses at those who miss Bible class too often or don't bother at
all?

Does Isaiah, nearly eight hundred years
before Jesus, condemn empty religion and crooked dealings? Big deal—so
do many modern people who've never darkened a church door!Who needs Isaiah or Amos?

Non-church-goers (and many non-believers) love their families at least as much as those that attend Bible classes.

It seems like every time you go to a church service you're being told,

"You ought to treat your family right, you ought to be honest in your work, kind in your relationships, pure in your sexual life, clean in your speech, fair in your judgments"

and "Here are ten Bible reasons why you should and here are three Bible illustrations of people

who did/did not do it."

What's
new about that? For pity's sake how often do we need to tell that to
people who've heard it and believe it since childhood? And the fact is,
we do hear it, day in and day out, from non-church people and
even secular sources and many of them say it a lot better and more
passionately than many of those who are handing out the ceaselessly same
divine bulletins every week.

What are the Bible and Bible studies offering that isn't being offered everywhere and by everyone with a heart and half a brain?

That's what I want to know!

And now we're hearing popular preachers calling the world to compassion and courage and to dream dreams without a word about the gospel of God in the Lord Jesus. Our Story is NOT the same as the humanist and secularist story! The gospel is NOT to be sidelined.

"THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS"
A Gracious Exhortation (10:19-25)
INTRODUCTION
1. To this point in "The Epistle To The Hebrews", doctrinal arguments
have been presented to encourage faithfulness and steadfastness...
a. Demonstrating the superiority of the Son - He 1:1-8:6
b. Illustrating the superiority of the New Covenant - He 8:7-10:18
2. With He 10:19, the author begins making application based upon these
premises...
a. Which he does through a series of exhortations and warnings
b. Such composing the remaining part of this epistle
3. In verses 19-25, we find a three-fold exhortation...
a. To draw near to God
b. To hold fast our faith
c. To stimulate one another in love and good works
-- All based upon what Christ has done and will do for us!
[I have entitled this lesson "A Gracious Exhortation", for certainly
each aspect of the exhortation is based upon God's wonderful grace
bestowed upon us through Christ, and it reflects the tone of the author
as he makes his heartfelt appeal. Beginning with...]
I. LET US DRAW NEAR IN FAITH (19-22)
A. WE ARE EXHORTED TO DRAW NEAR TO GOD...
1. To "enter the Holiest" - He 10:19
a. That heavenly place where Christ has entered! - He 9:11-12
b. Into the presence of God Himself! - He 9:24
2. To so enter:
a. "having boldness" (with great confidence) - He 10:19
b. "with a true heart" (with all sincerity) - He 10:22
c. "in full assurance of faith" (without doubt) - He 10:22
-- Though not expressed explicitly, this is a call to draw near
to God in prayer! - cf. He 4:16
B. THE BASIS FOR THIS EXHORTATION...
1. We are able to "enter" God's presence because:
a. Jesus has consecrated "a new and living way, through the
veil" - He 10:19-20
1) There is now a new way to approach God in heaven,
through One who lives!
2) It is made possible by "the blood of Jesus...His flesh"
(His death on the cross)
b. Jesus now serves as "a High Priest over the house of God"
- He 10:21
1) Who is able to come to our aid - He 2:17-18
2) Who sympathizes with our weakness - He 4:14-16
3) Who ever lives to intercede in our behalf - He 7:24-25
2. But we are also able to "enter" God's presence because:
a. We have had "our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience"
1) This is an allusion to the Old Testament practice of
taking blood from the altar and consecrating the priests
by sprinkling them with it - Exo 29:21
2) It is the blood of Christ that is truly efficacious in
purging our conscience of sin - He 9:14
b. We have had "our bodies washed with pure water"
1) Another allusion to the manner in which priests were
consecrated - Exo 29:4
2) The author likely has reference to baptism...
a) For baptism is referred to as a "washing"- Ac 22:16;
cf. Ep 5:26; Tit 3:5
b) Though the stress is on the inner cleansing, not the
outer - cf. 1Pe 3:21
[With Christ as our "High Priest", and our own consecration as
"priests" through the blood of Jesus, we should not hesitate to draw
near to God in prayer and worship, looking forward to that day when we
literally enter "through the veil" into God's wonderful presence!
For similar reasons we should also heed the next part of "A Gracious
Exhortation"...]
II. LET US HOLD FAST OUR HOPE (23)
A. WE ARE EXHORTED TO HOLD FAST THE CONFESSION OF OUR HOPE...
1. In Christ we have a much "better hope" - He 6:19; 7:19
2. But there is the danger of apostasy - He 3:12-13; 4:11
3. For which reason we must "hold fast" the hope which we confess
- He 3:6,14; 4:14
-- Indeed, we need to "hold fast...without wavering" - He 10:23
B. A GOOD REASON TO HEED THIS EXHORTATION...
1. The faithfulness of God: "for He who promised is faithful"
- He 10:23
2. God will not fail us (He 13:5); therefore we need to emulate
the faith of Sarah, who "judged Him faithful who had promised"
- He 11:11
[We can depend upon God to keep His promise. But will we remain
faithful to Him? To help ensure that we will, we need to heed the
final part of "A Gracious Exhortation"...]
III. LET US CONSIDER ONE ANOTHER (24-25)
A. IN ORDER TO STIR UP LOVE AND GOOD WORKS...
1. As we "draw near" to God and "hold fast" our hope, we are not
to do so alone
2. We are to be mindful of each other and how we are doing
("consider one another")
3. With a view to incite or spur on ("stir up") both "love and
good works"
- This is reminiscent of the exhortation in He 3:12-14
B. ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH FREQUENT ASSEMBLING...
1. An important purpose of our assembling is to "stir up love and
good works"
a. Yes, we do come to worship and praise God
b. But we also come to edify and exhort one another! - He 10:
25a
2. Therefore we must not become guilty of "forsaking the
assembling of ourselves together"
a. The word "forsake" means "to abandon, desert"
b. I.e., to stop assembling with the saints altogether
c. Some evidently had done so ("as is the manner of some")
3. Exhorting one another through assembling is even more
imperative "as you see the Day approaching"
a. Some commentators believe the "Day" referred to is the
destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70
1) Which was impending at the time this epistle was written
(ca. 63-65 A.D.)
2) Certainly such an event would call for encouragement
through frequent assembling
b. Others suggest that the "Day" refers to the Judgment Day at
the Second Coming
1) It certainly fits the context of He 9:27-29; 10:27,37
2) And while one might not know the "day and hour" of His
coming, we were given some general signs of His coming
- cf. 2Th 2:1-8
-- The main point is to appreciate the value and necessity of our
assemblies, and that forsaking them is indicative of apostasy!
CONCLUSION
1. With "A Gracious Exhortation" before us, we are encouraged to:
a. Draw near to God in full assurance of faith
b. Hold fast the confession of our hope
c. Consider one another to stir up to love and good works
2. As motivation to heed this "exhortation", we are reminded of:
a. The "new and living way" now open to God, made possible by Jesus'
death
b. The High Priest who now serves for us over the house of God
c. How we have been "consecrated" through having our hearts
sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure
water
d. How He who has promised is faithful
e. How we have each other to encourage us along
f. The approaching Day, in particular the Day of Judgment
If we truly appreciate the blessings we now have in Christ, we will do
all that we can to draw closer to God, hold fast that hope which we
confess, and utilize the opportunities we have to encourage one another
in love and good works!

Exo
28:1 "Bring Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, near to
you from among the children of Israel, that he may minister to me in
the priest's office, even Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and
Ithamar, Aaron's sons.

Exo
28:2 You shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory
and for beauty.

Exo
28:3 You shall speak to all who are wise-hearted, whom I have filled
with the spirit of wisdom, that they make Aaron's garments to
sanctify him, that he may minister to me in the priest's office.

Exo
28:4 These are the garments which they shall make: a breastplate,
and an ephod, and a robe, and a coat of checker work, a turban, and a
sash: and they shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, and
his sons, that he may minister to me in the priest's office.

Exo
28:5 They shall take the gold, and the blue, and the purple, and the
scarlet, and the fine linen.

Exo
28:6 "They shall make the ephod of gold, of blue, and purple,
scarlet, and fine twined linen, the work of the skillful workman.

Exo
28:7 It shall have two shoulder straps joined to the two ends of it,
that it may be joined together.

Exo
28:8 The skillfully woven band, which is on it, that is on him,
shall be like its work and of the same piece; of gold, of blue, and
purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen.

Exo
28:9 You shall take two onyx stones, and engrave on them the names
of the children of Israel:

Exo
28:10 six of their names on the one stone, and the names of the six
that remain on the other stone, in the order of their birth.

Exo
28:11 With the work of an engraver in stone, like the engravings of
a signet, you shall engrave the two stones, according to the names of
the children of Israel: you shall make them to be enclosed in
settings of gold.

Exo
28:12 You shall put the two stones on the shoulder straps of the
ephod, to be stones of memorial for the children of Israel: and Aaron
shall bear their names before Yahweh on his two shoulders for a
memorial.

Exo
28:13 You shall make settings of gold,

Exo
28:14 and two chains of pure gold; you shall make them like cords of
braided work: and you shall put the braided chains on the settings.

Exo
28:15 "You shall make a breastplate of judgment, the work of
the skillful workman; like the work of the ephod you shall make it;
of gold, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, you
shall make it.

Exo
28:16 It shall be square and folded double; a span shall be its
length of it, and a span its breadth.

Exo
28:17 You shall set in it settings of stones, four rows of stones: a
row of ruby, topaz, and beryl shall be the first row;

Exo
28:18 and the second row a turquoise, a sapphire, and an emerald;

Exo
28:19 and the third row a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst;

Exo
28:20 and the fourth row a chrysolite, an onyx, and a jasper: they
shall be enclosed in gold in their settings.

Exo
28:21 The stones shall be according to the names of the children of
Israel, twelve, according to their names; like the engravings of a
signet, everyone according to his name, they shall be for the twelve
tribes.

Exo
28:22 You shall make on the breastplate chains like cords, of
braided work of pure gold.

Exo
28:23 You shall make on the breastplate two rings of gold, and shall
put the two rings on the two ends of the breastplate.

Exo
28:24 You shall put the two braided chains of gold in the two rings
at the ends of the breastplate.

Exo
28:25 The other two ends of the two braided chains you shall put on
the two settings, and put them on the shoulder straps of the ephod in
its forepart.

Exo
28:26 You shall make two rings of gold, and you shall put them on
the two ends of the breastplate, on its edge, which is toward the
side of the ephod inward.

Exo
28:27 You shall make two rings of gold, and shall put them on the
two shoulder straps of the ephod underneath, in its forepart, close
by its coupling, above the skillfully woven band of the ephod.

Exo
28:28 They shall bind the breastplate by its rings to the rings of
the ephod with a lace of blue, that it may be on the skillfully woven
band of the ephod, and that the breastplate may not swing out from
the ephod.

Exo
28:29 Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the
breastplate of judgment on his heart, when he goes in to the holy
place, for a memorial before Yahweh continually.

Exo
28:30 You shall put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the
Thummim; and they shall be on Aaron's heart, when he goes in before
Yahweh: and Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel
on his heart before Yahweh continually.

Exo
28:31 "You shall make the robe of the ephod all of blue.

Exo
28:32 It shall have a hole for the head in its midst: it shall have
a binding of woven work around its hole, as it were the hole of a
coat of mail, that it not be torn.

Exo
28:33 On its hem you shall make pomegranates of blue, and of purple,
and of scarlet, around its hem; and bells of gold between and around
them:

Exo
28:34 a golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a
pomegranate, around the hem of the robe.

Exo
28:35 It shall be on Aaron to minister: and its sound shall be heard
when he goes in to the holy place before Yahweh, and when he comes
out, that he not die.

Exo
28:36 "You shall make a plate of pure gold, and engrave on it,
like the engravings of a signet, 'HOLY TO YAHWEH.'

Exo
28:37 You shall put it on a lace of blue, and it shall be on the
sash; on the front of the sash it shall be.

Exo
28:38 It shall be on Aaron's forehead, and Aaron shall bear the
iniquity of the holy things, which the children of Israel shall make
holy in all their holy gifts; and it shall be always on his forehead,
that they may be accepted before Yahweh.

Exo
28:39 You shall weave the coat in checker work of fine linen, and
you shall make a turban of fine linen, and you shall make a sash, the
work of the embroiderer.

Exo
28:40 "You shall make coats for Aaron's sons, and you shall
make sashes for them and you shall make headbands for them, for glory
and for beauty.

Exo
28:41 You shall put them on Aaron your brother, and on his sons with
him, and shall anoint them, and consecrate them, and sanctify them,
that they may minister to me in the priest's office.

Exo
28:42 You shall make them linen breeches to cover the flesh of their
nakedness; from the waist even to the thighs they shall reach:

Exo
28:43 They shall be on Aaron, and on his sons, when they go in to
the Tent of Meeting, or when they come near to the altar to minister
in the holy place; that they don't bear iniquity, and die: it shall
be a statute forever to him and to his descendants after him.

Exo
29:1 "This is the thing that you shall do to them to make them
holy, to minister to me in the priest's office: take one young bull
and two rams without blemish,

Exo
29:2 unleavened bread, unleavened cakes mixed with oil, and
unleavened wafers anointed with oil: you shall make them of fine
wheat flour.

Exo
29:3 You shall put them into one basket, and bring them in the
basket, with the bull and the two rams.

Exo
29:4 You shall bring Aaron and his sons to the door of the Tent of
Meeting, and shall wash them with water.

Exo
29:5 You shall take the garments, and put on Aaron the coat, the
robe of the ephod, the ephod, and the breastplate, and dress him with
the skillfully woven band of the ephod;

Exo
29:6 and you shall set the turban on his head, and put the holy
crown on the turban.

Exo
29:7 Then you shall take the anointing oil, and pour it on his head,
and anoint him.

Exo
29:8 You shall bring his sons, and put coats on them.

Exo
29:9 You shall dress them with belts, Aaron and his sons, and bind
headbands on them: and they shall have the priesthood by a perpetual
statute: and you shall consecrate Aaron and his sons.

Exo
29:10 "You shall bring the bull before the Tent of Meeting: and
Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the bull.

Exo
29:11 You shall kill the bull before Yahweh, at the door of the Tent
of Meeting.

Exo
29:12 You shall take of the blood of the bull, and put it on the
horns of the altar with your finger; and you shall pour out all the
blood at the base of the altar.

Exo
29:13 You shall take all the fat that covers the innards, the cover
of the liver, the two kidneys, and the fat that is on them, and burn
them on the altar.

Exo
29:14 But the flesh of the bull, and its skin, and its dung, you
shall burn with fire outside of the camp: it is a sin offering.

Exo
29:15 "You shall also take the one ram; and Aaron and his sons
shall lay their hands on the head of the ram.

Exo
29:16 You shall kill the ram, and you shall take its blood, and
sprinkle it around on the altar.

Exo
29:17 You shall cut the ram into its pieces, and wash its innards,
and its legs, and put them with its pieces, and with its head.

Exo
29:18 You shall burn the whole ram on the altar: it is a burnt
offering to Yahweh; it is a pleasant aroma, an offering made by fire
to Yahweh.

Exo
29:19 "You shall take the other ram; and Aaron and his sons
shall lay their hands on the head of the ram.

Exo
29:20 Then you shall kill the ram, and take some of its blood, and
put it on the tip of the right ear of Aaron, and on the tip of the
right ear of his sons, and on the thumb of their right hand, and on
the big toe of their right foot, and sprinkle the blood around on the
altar.

Exo
29:21 You shall take of the blood that is on the altar, and of the
anointing oil, and sprinkle it on Aaron, and on his garments, and on
his sons, and on the garments of his sons with him: and he shall be
made holy, and his garments, and his sons, and his sons' garments
with him.

Exo
29:22 Also you shall take some of the ram's fat, the fat tail, the
fat that covers the innards, the cover of the liver, the two kidneys,
the fat that is on them, and the right thigh (for it is a ram of
consecration),

Exo
29:23 and one loaf of bread, one cake of oiled bread, and one wafer
out of the basket of unleavened bread that is before Yahweh.

Exo
29:24 You shall put all of this in Aaron's hands, and in his sons'
hands, and shall wave them for a wave offering before Yahweh.

Exo
29:25 You shall take them from their hands, and burn them on the
altar on the burnt offering, for a pleasant aroma before Yahweh: it
is an offering made by fire to Yahweh.

Exo
29:26 "You shall take the breast of Aaron's ram of
consecration, and wave it for a wave offering before Yahweh: and it
shall be your portion.

Exo
29:27 You shall sanctify the breast of the wave offering, and the
thigh of the wave offering, which is waved, and which is heaved up,
of the ram of consecration, even of that which is for Aaron, and of
that which is for his sons:

Exo
29:28 and it shall be for Aaron and his sons as their portion
forever from the children of Israel; for it is a wave offering: and
it shall be a wave offering from the children of Israel of the
sacrifices of their peace offerings, even their wave offering to
Yahweh.

Exo
29:29 "The holy garments of Aaron shall be for his sons after
him, to be anointed in them, and to be consecrated in them.

Exo
29:30 Seven days shall the son who is priest in his place put them
on, when he comes into the Tent of Meeting to minister in the holy
place.

Exo
29:31 "You shall take the ram of consecration, and boil its
flesh in a holy place.

Exo
29:32 Aaron and his sons shall eat the flesh of the ram, and the
bread that is in the basket, at the door of the Tent of Meeting.

Exo
29:33 They shall eat those things with which atonement was made, to
consecrate and sanctify them: but a stranger shall not eat of it,
because they are holy.

Exo
29:34 If anything of the flesh of the consecration, or of the bread,
remains to the morning, then you shall burn the remainder with fire:
it shall not be eaten, because it is holy.

Exo
29:35 "You shall do so to Aaron, and to his sons, according to
all that I have commanded you. You shall consecrate them seven days.

Exo
29:36 Every day you shall offer the bull of sin offering for
atonement: and you shall cleanse the altar, when you make atonement
for it; and you shall anoint it, to sanctify it.

Exo
29:37 Seven days you shall make atonement for the altar, and
sanctify it: and the altar shall be most holy; whatever touches the
altar shall be holy.

Exo
29:38 "Now this is that which you shall offer on the altar: two
lambs a year old day by day continually.

Exo
29:39 The one lamb you shall offer in the morning; and the other
lamb you shall offer at evening:

Exo
29:40 and with the one lamb a tenth part of an ephah of fine flour
mixed with the fourth part of a hin of beaten oil, and the fourth
part of a hin of wine for a drink offering.

Exo
29:41 The other lamb you shall offer at evening, and shall do to it
according to the meal offering of the morning, and according to its
drink offering, for a pleasant aroma, an offering made by fire to
Yahweh.

Exo
29:42 It shall be a continual burnt offering throughout your
generations at the door of the Tent of Meeting before Yahweh, where I
will meet with you, to speak there to you.

Exo
29:43 There I will meet with the children of Israel; and the place
shall be sanctified by my glory.

Exo
29:44 I will sanctify the Tent of Meeting and the altar: Aaron also
and his sons I will sanctify, to minister to me in the priest's
office.

Exo
29:45 I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will be their
God.

Exo
29:46 They shall know that I am Yahweh their God, who brought them
forth out of the land of Egypt, that I might dwell among them: I am
Yahweh their God.

Mar. 17, 18

Mark 11

Mar 11:1 When they drew
near to Jerusalem, to Bethsphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives,
he sent two of his disciples,

Mar 11:2 and said to
them, "Go your way into the village that is opposite you.
Immediately as you enter into it, you will find a young donkey tied,
on which no one has sat. Untie him, and bring him.

Mar 11:3 If anyone asks
you, 'Why are you doing this?' say, 'The Lord needs him;' and
immediately he will send him back here."

Mar 11:4 They went
away, and found a young donkey tied at the door outside in the open
street, and they untied him.

Mar 11:5 Some of those
who stood there asked them, "What are you doing, untying the
young donkey?"

Mar 11:6 They said to
them just as Jesus had said, and they let them go.

Mar 11:7 They brought
the young donkey to Jesus, and threw their garments on it, and Jesus
sat on it.

Mar 11:8 Many spread
their garments on the way, and others were cutting down branches from
the trees, and spreading them on the road.

Mar 11:9 Those who went
in front, and those who followed, cried out, "Hosanna! Blessed
is he who comes in the name of the Lord!

Mar 11:10 Blessed is
the kingdom of our father David that is coming in the name of the
Lord! Hosanna in the highest!"

Mar 11:11 Jesus entered
into the temple in Jerusalem. When he had looked around at
everything, it being now evening, he went out to Bethany with the
twelve.

Mar 11:12 The next day,
when they had come out from Bethany, he was hungry.

Mar 11:13 Seeing a fig
tree afar off having leaves, he came to see if perhaps he might find
anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for
it was not the season for figs.

Mar 11:14 Jesus told
it, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again!" and his
disciples heard it.

Mar 11:15 They came to
Jerusalem, and Jesus entered into the temple, and began to throw out
those who sold and those who bought in the temple, and overthrew the
tables of the money changers, and the seats of those who sold the
doves.

Mar 11:16 He would not
allow anyone to carry a container through the temple.

Mar 11:17 He taught,
saying to them, "Isn't it written, 'My house will be called a
house of prayer for all the nations?' But you have made it a den of
robbers!"

Mar 11:18 The chief
priests and the scribes heard it, and sought how they might destroy
him. For they feared him, because all the multitude was astonished at
his teaching.

Mar 11:19 When evening
came, he went out of the city.

Mar 11:20 As they
passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away from
the roots.

Mar 11:21 Peter,
remembering, said to him, "Rabbi, look! The fig tree which you
cursed has withered away."

Mar 11:22 Jesus
answered them, "Have faith in God.

Mar 11:23 For most
certainly I tell you, whoever may tell this mountain, 'Be taken up
and cast into the sea,' and doesn't doubt in his heart, but believes
that what he says is happening; he shall have whatever he says.

Mar 11:24 Therefore I
tell you, all things whatever you pray and ask for, believe that you
have received them, and you shall have them.

Mar 11:25 Whenever you
stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone; so that
your Father, who is in heaven, may also forgive you your
transgressions.

Mar 11:26 But if you do
not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your
transgressions."

Mar 11:27 They came
again to Jerusalem, and as he was walking in the temple, the chief
priests, and the scribes, and the elders came to him,

Mar 11:28 and they
began saying to him, "By what authority do you do these things?
Or who gave you this authority to do these things?"

Mar 11:29 Jesus said to
them, "I will ask you one question. Answer me, and I will tell
you by what authority I do these things.

Mar 11:30 The baptism
of John-was it from heaven, or from men? Answer me."

Mar 11:31 They reasoned
with themselves, saying, "If we should say, 'From heaven;' he
will say, 'Why then did you not believe him?'

Mar 11:32 If we should
say, 'From men' "-they feared the people, for all held John to
really be a prophet.

Mar 11:33 They answered
Jesus, "We don't know." Jesus said to them, "Neither
do I tell you by what authority I do these things."

1.
Johnny 's mother had
three children. The
first child was named
April. The second
child was named May. ...What
was the third child 's
name?

2.
There is a clerk at
the butcher shop, he
is five feet ten
inches tall and he
wears size 13 sneakers ....What
does he weigh?

3.
Before Mt. Everest was
discovered, ...what
was the highest
mountain in the world?

4.
How much dirt is there
in a hole ...that
measures two feet by
three feet by four
feet?

5.
What word in the
English language ...is
always spelled
incorrectly?

6.
Billy was born on
December 28th, yet his
birthday is always in
the summer. ....How
is this possible?7.
In California, you
cannot take a picture
of a man with a wooden
leg. ...Why
not?

8.
What was the President
's name ...in
1975?

9.
If you were running a
race, ...and
you passed the person
in 2nd place, what
place would you be in
now?

10.
Which is correct to
say, ... "The
yolk of the egg are
white" or "The yolk of
the egg is
white"?

11.
If a farmer has 5
haystacks in one field
and 4 haystacks in the
other field,...how
many haystacks would
he have if he combined
them all in another
field? Be careful how you answer, some of them are a bit tricky. Tricky on purpose. Sometimes people will try to trick you just for the fun of it, like above questions, or they will do it on purpose for gain. Which (of course) reminds me of something in the Scriptures...

Judges, Chapter 14

Now at that time the Philistines had rule over Israel. 5 Then went Samson down, and his father and his mother, to Timnah, and came to the vineyards of Timnah: and behold, a young lion roared against him. 6 The Spirit of Yahweh came mightily on him, and he tore him as he would have torn a young goat; and he had nothing in his hand: but he didn’t tell his father or his mother what he had done. 7 He went down, and talked with the woman, and she pleased Samson well. 8 After a while he returned to take her; and he turned aside to see the carcass of the lion: and behold, there was a swarm of bees in the body of the lion, and honey. 9 He took it into his hands, and went on, eating as he went; and he came to his father and mother, and gave to them, and they ate: but he didn’t tell them that he had taken the honey out of the body of the lion. 10 His father went down to the woman: and Samson made there a feast; for so used the young men to do. 11 When they saw him, they brought thirty companions to be with him.

12 Samson said to them, “Let me tell you a riddle now. If you can declare it to me within the seven days of the feast, and find it out, then I will give you thirty linen garments and thirty changes of clothing; 13 but if you can’t declare it to me, then you shall give me thirty linen garments and thirty changes of clothing.”

They said to him, “Tell us your riddle, that we may hear it.” 14 He said to them,“Out of the eater came out food.Out of the strong came out sweetness.”

Needless to say, the young men didn't "get it", but they did threaten his wife and father-in-law with death by fire, so she nagged Samson until he told her, then...

18 The men of the city said to him on the seventh day before the sun went down, “What is sweeter than honey? What is stronger than a lion?”

He said to them,“If you hadn’t plowed with my heifer,you wouldn’t have found out my riddle.”

19 The Spirit of Yahweh came mightily on him, and he went down to Ashkelon, and struck thirty men of them, and took their plunder, and gave the changes of clothing to those who declared the riddle. His anger was kindled, and he went up to his father’s house.

Ultimately, God used all these things to fulfill judgement upon the Philistines, but all the deception does seem a bit unsavory to me. There are probably many morales to this story, but to me, being careful in what you both say and answer in response seems most appropriate. Humm, I wonder... If the honey in this story had a brand name- what would it be...

answer: lying around honey!

PS. here are the answers to the old timers test...

The Answers

1.
Johnny 's mother had
three children. The
first child was named
April The second child
was named May. What
was the third child 's
name? Johnny,
of course2.
There is a clerk at
the butcher shop, he
is five feet ten
inches tall, and he
wears size 13
sneakers. What does he
weigh? Meat.

3.
Before Mt. Everest was
discovered, what was
the highest mountain
in the world? Mt.
Everest; it just
wasn't discovered yet.

4.
How much dirt is there
in a hole that
measures two feet by
three feet by four
feet? There
is no dirt in a hole.

5.
What word in the
English language is
always spelled
incorrectly? Incorrectly6.
Billy was born on
December 28th, yet his
birthday is always in
the summer. How is
this possible? Billy
lives in the Southern
Hemisphere7.
In California, you
cannot take a picture
of a man with a wooden
leg. Why not? You
can 't take pictures
with a wooden leg. You
need a camera to take
pictures.

8.
What was the President
's name in 1975? Same as is it
now - Barack
Obama [Oh, come on
.... ]

9.
If you were running a
race, and you passed
the person in 2nd
place, what place
would you be in now? You
would be in 2nd. Well,
you passed the person
in second place, not
first.

10.
Which is correct to
say, "The yolk of the
egg are white"
or "The yolk of the
egg is white"? Neither,
the yolk of the egg is
yellow

11.
If a farmer has 5
haystacks in one field
and 4 haystacks in the
other field, how many
haystacks would he
have if he combined
them all in another
field? One.

How did you do???? I missed one... "old folks disease"

PSS... Thanks for sending me the questions, Bruce; they made a nice start for my day!!!